You may comply with multiple-charge fix-it citations one item at a time

Thursday

Jan 10, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 10, 2013 at 2:45 AM

I received a "fix-it" ticket from a Medford police officer a couple weeks ago because I forgot to update my license plate sticker and I left my insurance card at home. The officer told me that if I took care of both issues before a certain date, I could have the ticket dismissed. I plan to handle both citations, but I was wondering if a person could take care of one and not the other? In order to have a "fix-it" ticket dismissed, do you need to take care of both items on a citation?

I received a "fix-it" ticket from a Medford police officer a couple weeks ago because I forgot to update my license plate sticker and I left my insurance card at home. The officer told me that if I took care of both issues before a certain date, I could have the ticket dismissed. I plan to handle both citations, but I was wondering if a person could take care of one and not the other? In order to have a "fix-it" ticket dismissed, do you need to take care of both items on a citation?

— Rhonda D., Medford

Though Medford police Chief Tim George suggests that it's best to take care of both citations, you certainly can fix one problem and have it dismissed and then face the music on the other charge.

"We put multiple citations on one ticket these days, but you can treat them as separate charges," George said. "So it's possible to have one charge on a fix-it ticket dismissed and you can pay the fine on the other."

Medford police write several fix-it tickets per week, most of them for equipment violations such as broken headlights and tail lights and recently expired license plates.

The officer usually gives the driver a few weeks to take care of the issue, George said.

To take care of a fix-it ticket in Medford, you must go to Medford Municipal Court on the second floor of City Hall at 411 W. Eighth St. They will provide a sticker to place on the back of your ticket.

You then go to the police department window on the first floor of City Hall to request an on-duty officer or community service officer to sign off on the ticket. The ticket will then need to be taken back to Municipal Court for dismissal.

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